Children's Home run by Kirklees Council in Kirklees

Inspection report children's home: SC033367 1 SC033367 Registered provider: Kirklees Metropolitan Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned and operated by a local authority. The home provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on the 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 7 November 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC033367 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/11/2019 Full Good 07/11/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Good 28/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: SC033367 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children build trusted relationships with the staff. This provides the children with a positive home environment, helps the children to build their self-confidence, and they begin to feel safe and secure in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children have made some positive progress since they moved into the home. However, their care plans have not been fully progressed by the local authority. As a result, the children are unsure of their long-term plans. This could prevent them fully engaging with the opportunities provided to them by the manager and the staff

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are welcomed into the home through planned and emergency admissions. Wherever possible, the staff ensure that the children feel welcome and reassured. The staff provide the children with the support they require to meet their day-to-day care needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children have structured activity and education plans that the staff update weekly. Children are encouraged to share their views on what they would like to do, and on the running of the home. Children have regular one-to-one key-work sessions with staff and take part in fortnightly meetings where they help to plan menus and activities. As such, children benefit from taking part in activities that they enjoy. These include boxing, trampolining and go-karting activities, as well as enjoying days outs to Alton Towers and other parks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has good attendance at school and is making progress. The other children are being actively supported by staff to ensure they have access to the education provisions that they need. The staff have worked with the virtual school and other schools to reduce any barriers to accessing education. As a result, the children have education plans to ensure that they are in good routines and can fulfil their educational potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work in partnership with the looked after children’s nurse and the home’s in- house clinical psychologist. This helps to support the children’s physical and emotional health needs. All the children have an up-to-date health assessment. This means that the children’s health and developmental needs are prioritised by staff, and all their health needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals confirmed that the manager and staff work in partnership with other agencies to progress the children’s transition plans. Staff have worked well with one child who has moved on. The staff worked with the child through play and consultation, and advocated well on his behalf. This ensured that the child had a positive transition into his new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children in developing age-appropriate levels of independence and social skills. This means that the children can carry out chores in the home, cook, Inspection report children's home: SC033367 4 travel independently and manage their own self-care skills more effectively. One professional said that a child’s presentation had significantly improved since living at the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are good-quality behaviour management plans and risk assessments in place. These are reviewed regularly by the manager and deputy managers, in consultation with social workers and other agencies. This helps to safeguard the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff use restorative practice. This allows the children to rebuild relationships and develop an understanding of how their behaviours can affect themselves and others. As a result, the children are beginning to learn how to make better decisions, which helps them to reduce their risk-taking behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff access regular training and have consultations with the in-house clinical psychologist, substance misuse workers and the youth offending team. This supports them in their roles. This level of consultation with professionals helps the staff to develop new interventions to better support the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children go missing from home, the staff follow the children’s risk assessments and respond quickly. The staff will contact children and known associates, search local areas where children are known to go and work in partnership with other agencies and families to reduce the risk. As a result, the children’s missing-from-home episodes have reduced.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are low levels of restraint. When restraint does occur, the incidents are well recorded, the staff and children are debriefed and there is good management oversight. Staff use team meetings, handovers and consultations with the in-house clinical psychologist to reflect on any incidents and improve practice.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff do not routinely carry out bedroom checks to ensure that the health and safety arrangements are effective. As a result, children are exposed to the risk of harm from misusing substances. Staff did address the issue, and they confiscated the unknown substances. However, the inspector could not be fully reassured that all staff are addressing the use of substance misuse effectively in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post for one year. She and her team are child-focused and aspirational for the children. They have provided some stability for the children, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and through the changes that have taken place in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access regular training, supervision, annual appraisals, team meetings and clinical group supervision. This supports the staff to learn and develop so that they can meet the children’s needs effectively. Inspection report children's home: SC033367 5 The staff team has gone through several changes, but there is now a committed and stable team in place. The staff, who are skilled and provide positive role models for children, provide the children with the continuity of care and support that they require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, deputy managers and the team continue to work in partnership with specialist agencies. They seek out and develop positive links with the in-house clinical psychologist, substance misuse workers, the police and the youth offending service. This helps the manager and staff quickly access any additional support that the children require.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are good monitoring systems in place, which are continually being improved. The managers complete monthly audits, which helps them to have a good oversight of the children’s progress and staff development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a workforce development plan in place which is reviewed and updated. This supports her in a having a good understanding of the strengths of the staff and their areas for development. Inspection report children's home: SC033367 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))(b)) 30 December Inspection report children's home: SC033367 7

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children's home: SC033367 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre 3, Huddersfield, Yorkshire HD1 2EY

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Katryn Medina-Hamilton

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Inspector

Noel Cooper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC033367 9 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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